Inseparable: Alf Binnie And His Archtop

The story of Binnie’s POW guitar came to light earlier
this year in the tiny Daily Inter Lake newspaper in Kalispell,
Montana. An editor there became aware of Leslie Collins, a real
estate agent in nearby Whitefish who had been helping Alf ’s
widow, Joan, find the best home for Alf ’s small, precious collection
of wartime belongings. The collection, now in the possession
of the Canadian War Museum, includes a poster from the
Strike up the Band concert at Stalag IX-C, a photo of one of
Alf ’s prison-camp bands, the original bill of sale for the guitar,
and, most remarkably, the guitar Alf acquired in February of
1942. It stayed with him through four more prison camps and
“The March,” during which thousands of POWs were forced out
of their camps and sent hundreds of miles on foot to flee from
the invading Russian army. We recently spoke with Collins and
Joan Binnie to find out more about this remarkable story about a
man and his guitar.

The receipt for Alf’s guitar, which was
purchased for him by guards on the condition that he play for them.

LEFT: The printed program from the April 26, 1942, Strike up the Band
performance for the guards at Stalag IX-C. RIGHT: Alf’s pilot’s log indicates
he was shot down on March 11, 1941, over Alkmaar, Holland. He was one
of two survivors from his seven-man crew, but his leg was wounded badly
and subsequently saved by German doctors.

More Adventure Than He Bargained For
Alfred E. Binnie was born in Montreal, Quebec, on January
6, 1920. His father, a reporter for the Montreal Star, was also
the long-time organist and choirmaster for a large church. Joan
believes Alf had a ukulele as a boy and perhaps a guitar, and
he was an avid fan of Django Reinhardt and Louis Armstrong.
Apparently Alf never harbored a desire to become a professional
musician. When pressed to find work during his teenage years,
he opted for adventure and a short-term commission in the
Royal Air Force of Great Britain, an option open to Canadian
citizens. By the time he got to England in 1939, the Germans
were on the march across Europe, and in September, Britain
and France formally declared war on the Nazi regime. Alf ’s program
was suddenly eliminated, but with some persuading and
patience, he was accepted into the RAF as an officer and pilot
in training. By 1941, he was co-piloting missions in a Vickers
Wellington Mk II bomber.

It’s unclear how many missions Alf flew before he was shot
down, but it wasn’t many. On March 12, 1941, his plane took
enemy fire and, with a badly wounded leg, he bailed out over
Holland. Only one of his fellow crewmen survived. Alf managed
to bury his parachute and walk to a farmhouse, where a family
called a doctor. After looking at Alf ’s wounds, the doctor said
there was no alternative but to call the German authorities, both
to get access to a proper hospital and to ensure the family wasn’t
called out for harboring an enemy combatant. Joan Binnie says
the Nazis showed surprising respect and compassion for enemy
officers and pilots. The next three months in the German-run
hospital were agonizing, but several surgeries did manage to
save Alf ’s leg. When he’d recuperated, he was processed in the
German city of Oberursel and then sent to Stalag IX-C.

A British government public-domain photo of a Vickers Wellington Mk II bomber like the one Alf
began piloting for the Royal Air Force
in 1941. He was shot down, captured, and given
medical treatment for his wounds in March of that year.

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